Schwäbische Linsen mit Spätzle

Method

1. Rinse and sort the lentils. Alb-Leisa are the regional choice. Berglinsen, Puy, brown, or green lentils also work because they hold their shape. If you are using larger green or brown lentils and you have time, soak them for 2 to 4 hours, then drain.
2. In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until it releases its fat and starts to brown. If you are skipping the bacon, start with the butter or oil.
3. Add the onion, carrot, leek or celeriac, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the lentils, broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
6. Cook uncovered or partly covered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick but still saucy. Add a splash of broth or water if it tightens up before the lentils are done.
7. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Taste carefully and add more vinegar until the lentils are pleasantly tangy and lightly sweet-sour. Schwäbische Linsen should not taste flat.
8. If you are using Saitenwürstle, warm them gently in the lentils for the last 5 minutes without letting the pot boil hard.
9. Cook or reheat the Spätzle, then toss with butter. For the easiest good shortcut, use fresh packaged Spätzle from the refrigerated section: out of the bag, about 2 minutes in salted boiling water, drain, toss with butter. For homemade, beat the flour, eggs, 120 ml of the liquid, salt, and nutmeg into a thick, elastic batter. Add more liquid only as needed. Press or scrape into salted boiling water, cook until the noodles float, then drain and toss with butter.
10. Serve the lentils beside or partly over the buttered Spätzle, with parsley, mustard, extra vinegar, and Saitenwürstle if using.

Schwäbisch style checks

• The lentils should be a thick stew, not a soup.
• Use lentils that hold their shape. Alb-Leisa is the most regional choice when you can get them.
• The finished flavour should be tangy from the vinegar, savoury from the broth and aromatics, and lightly rounded by the small amount of sugar.
• Saitenwürstle are the classic sausage. Wiener or Frankfurter are the practical substitutes.
• Lentils and Spätzle can go to the table side by side so everyone mixes their own.
• Avoid red lentils here. They collapse into puree.

Notes

• The vinegar is not optional for flavour. Start with 2 tablespoons and work upward.
• For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and the sausage, use vegetable broth, and add a little smoked paprika or smoked salt for depth.
• To thicken the stew without flour, mash a spoonful of the cooked lentils against the side of the pot and stir them back in.
• Fresh packaged Spätzle is the best shortcut. Prefer the soft refrigerated kind over dried when you can find it; it usually needs about 2 minutes.
• Homemade Spätzle batter should be thicker than pancake batter and stretchy enough to fall from a spoon in ribbons.
• Store the lentils and the Spätzle separately if you can. The lentils thicken overnight and may want a splash of water or broth when you reheat them.

Sources consulted

• The Daring Gourmet: German Lentils (Linsen mit Spätzle)
• Dirndl Kitchen: German Lentil Recipe (Linsen mit Spätzle)
• My German Table: Lentil Stew with Spätzle